Underneath
by BrokenSokaCreations
Summary: Strip away the flesh and bone. Look beyond the lies you've known. Everybody wants to talk about a freak. No one wants to dig that deep. Let me take you UNDERNEATH. This is a story of self discovery, and finding the strength to be true to yourself at all costs. Would you risk everything for the one you love?
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: Thank you in advance for taking the time to read my story! I'm not giving anything away, no spoilers at all. I want to keep everything a surprise. I rated this story "M" to be safe because it's not for everybody mentally. So read with caution! I have written already 50% of it, so no matter what happens in the story, it's not going to change. In other words, there is no point in flaming me or suggesting ideas of what you would like to happen. I love the plot of this story and I can say is when you read the entire thing once, you'll want to go and read it again.

Disclaimer: I don't own Rise of the Guardians, or any media I may refer to in future chapters. They belong to their rightful owners, I am just using them for entertainment.

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Underneath

Prologue

Our story begins at the North Pole, the vast mountains of ice and snow. Temperatures beyond freezing, and in the middle of all this shivering weather is Santa Clause's Shop. It's filled with toys beyond imagination. Yetis working on new creations designed by Santa Clause, or as his friends call him, North.

"I'm still waiting for those cookies!" His voice carries throughout the shop. After a few moments, when nothing happens, North leaves his office only to trip on once again another frozen elf. He scans the area to see that all his elves are frozen solid.

"Jack! Stop freezing my elves!" He quickly turns a corner to find Jack Frost sitting in his usual spot, with his hood covering his head and he is frosting up the windows.

"Jack it's been almost a year and with us so close to Christmas I can't have you continually freezing my elves. Why not write about what you are feeling, since you don't seem to want to talk to any of us, instead of expressing it through your element?" North tries to reason with Jack, all the while grabbing a deep blue book off of a shelf nearby and a pen out of his pocket. He hands the items to the frost Guardian.

"Please Jack. It might help."

"Fine" Jack quietly whispers, taking the items from North's large hands. North leaves to continue working. Jack scans the book, the cover is thick with a white snowflake, spiral binding, easy to flip from page to page. Opening to the first page, he starts to write.

* * *

_October 2nd_

_Feelings, _

_ Write my feelings he says, what's the point? It's not going to change the past, change anything that has happened. In the end, I am alone again. Sure I have the other Guardians here, but it's not the same. I guess, I should start at the beginning. I am Jack Frost, but I wasn't always. Up until a few years ago, I discovered I was once human. I had a family, and a sister I adored. Adored enough to risk my life to save hers. It was then that I realized. I am a Guardian. It was a boy named Jamie Bennett that helped me find my center. Fun. I am the Guardian of Fun. He was also the one that saved me from the loneliness of not being seen. For three hundred years, of solitude where only other Guardians, spiritual, season and elemental beings can see you, but want nothing to do with you. Having people just walk through you is a feeling of complete suffocation. You lose your breath, and all you are left afterwards is emptiness. _

_ I remember seeing Jamie for the first time. I just finished creating a snow day in the town of Burgess. Making a stop at the lake where I was reborn. I didn't know at the time why I was always returning to it, until my memories were recovered. But it was there that I first laid eyes on Jamie. He was so interested in Bigfoot and anything that to most people would consider mysteries. He had a strong belief in the Easter Bunny, defending him when his friends tried to convince him that he wasn't real. His mom reminding him to wear his hat, so Jack Frost doesn't nip at his nose. Seriously? How does she think I can do that? People just pass through me, how am I suppose to "nip" at someone's nose? Jamie, the silly boy he was, asking who Jack Frost was. His mom claiming it was all but an expression. For centuries I was just an expression. Well. I showed him. Threw a snowball at him when he wasn't looking which caused an all out war with him and his friends. It then lead to the Epic Sleigh Ride as he liked to call it. It ended with him being hit with a sofa, making him lose a tooth. There went my fun. _

_ But that boy, something drew me to him. I remember following him home. Watching from the window as he retold his adventure to his sister and mother. How excited he looked about wanting to try and see the Tooth Fairy. I didn't think he stood a chance once Sandman started working. I loved watching the different dreams stream by in the golden sand. Right on time, every day. _

_ It was then my adventure started with the Guardians; Nicholas St. North "Santa Clause", the Guardian of Wonder, he had the quite fatherly feeling to him._

_E. Aster Bunnymund "Easter Bunny", the Guardian of Hope, now he was a guy that was all too full of himself, but would have your back, if you have his._

_Toothiana__ "Tooth Fairy", the Guardian of Memories, she had a weird obsession with my teeth, talk about lack of personal space. _

_And finally, __Sanderson ManSnoozie "Sandy" __, he never says a word, but uses his sand to create images to communicate with us. _

_ I learned that the Man in Moon or as North likes to call him Manny speaks to the Guardians. It wasn't fair, he speaks to them, but yet couldn't tell me why I was chosen or why I was even here in the first place. North explained why he was chosen, he is the Guardian of Wonder. It was his center, he kept asking who was I, and what was my center. At the time, I didn't know. _

_ Things began to happen so fast. Riding the legendary Santa's Sleigh, going to Tooth's Palace, saving Baby Tooth and finally meeting Pitch for the first time. I could see why the other Guardian's were worried but at the same time, I could relate to him. Everything he was saying, it was everything I was feeling. Loneliness and the need to be believed in. I discovered then that I was once human, that Tooth had my teeth that could show me memories of my life before Jack Frost. But before I could see them, we would need to help Tooth to remain believed in and get them back from Pitch. North devised the plan that we would collect the teeth and leave gifts for the children of the world. I don't know how Tooth can do this every single night. I guess that explains why she has so many little helpers. It was fun though, the race to see who can get the most teeth. The rush and competition of it all. _

_ This all ended at Jamie's house. It was our last stop. I accompanied Tooth there. I don't know how she knew, but she knew it was my doing that caused Jamie to lose his tooth. We didn't notice how long we were taking, until all the other Guardians arrived. Tooth constantly reminding everyone to remain quiet as Jamie was still asleep._

_ The events to follow, involving Bunny and a greyhound. Sandy trying to knock out the dog, but getting everyone but me in the line of fire of his sand. Seeing Bunny's dream carrots starting to dance with North's candy canes, is one of the funniest things I ever saw. Sandy giving me a look, not out of anger, more like the look you give as if you are saying; tsk tsk tsk. _

_ Next thing I know Sandy and I are fighting the nightmare horses that Pitch created. Being overwhelmed, then the other Guardian's arriving. But it wasn't enough, we lost Sandy. I don't know where the power I had came from but it destroyed all of Pitch's dark sand, and sent him flying. The remainder of the Guardians returned to the North Pole and held a memorial for our fallen comrade. I couldn't help but feel like I should have done more, it was North that convinced me that I had the strength that could go against Pitch. That Sandy would have been proud of me. Seeing the lights on the globe go out so fast, fear consuming each child. _

* * *

_October 9__th_

_Regret,_

_ It was Bunny who reminded us that Easter was the next day. It was our chance to change what pitch was causing with his nightmares. We went to Bunny's Warren, only to find things were in trouble. By trouble, I mean Sophie. What a terror. Putting Bunny under the spell of the snowflake was all I could do, since I was invisible to Sophie. Seeing how he created the eggs and got them decorated. Have you seen eggs with legs before? It was disturbing, but amazing all the same. All the work tired Sophie out, I volunteered to bring her home, Baby Tooth coming for the ride. _

_ I remember hearing my name being called, over and over. A voice that tickled my memories, but I couldn't place them. I convinced Baby Tooth that we had time to investigate it. The voice brought us to Pitch's lair, it was a trap. I may have retrieved my memories, but I caused such a mess with Easter. The eggs, all of them, destroyed in the tunnels. If I just went back right away, I could have helped Bunny with Easter, and I wouldn't have lost Baby Tooth to Pitch. The disappointment the Guardians had for me. Seeing Bunny being walked through, them discovering I was with Pitch, while Easter was ruined. All I could do was leave. _

_ Surrounded by the frigid snow in Antarctica, I tried to throw my teeth away, only to be confronted by Pitch again. The choice, Baby Tooth or my staff. Trying to save Baby Tooth and the breaking of my staff. It was the source of my power, when it was broke in half by Pitch, it felt like something inside of me broke. Falling in that hole with nothing but a hurt Baby Tooth, a broken staff and my teeth. What a mess. When all hope was lost, Baby Tooth activated the canister that held my teeth. Showing me to look at my memories. Seeing the images before me were amazing. Seeing how I died, realizing that the Man in Moon chose me because I saved my sister. Feeling my death and rebirth all over again was crushing, but I was excited of the fact that I knew now that I was a Guardian. I restored my staff, we returned to Pitch's lair to free the other fairies, only to find that none of them could fly. Baby Tooth showing me that the lights on the globe are all going out. All but one._

* * *

_October 20th_

_Jamie,_

_ I flew quickly to his home to get there before Pitch. Seeing his belief flicker before me, was terrible. I knew I had to do something. Creating that frosted bunny, making it run around the room was the best idea I ever had. It helped Jamie to see me. Hearing my name for the first time, without it being an expression. Asking him if he could hear me, if he could see me. Just those nods of his head, caused me over the moon happiness. I almost started to cry. I explained to him that all of us were real, that it wasn't just a dream. _

_ Outside of Jamie's window was the sound of North's sleigh crashing. The Guardians were actually happy to see me, especially when I revealed Jamie. They were surprised to see that Jamie could see me. Pitch, of course, chose that moment to show up and try to make Jamie afraid. We were cornered. Jamie looking at me with fear in his eyes, telling me he was scared. It reminded me of my sister and what I told her. It made me discover my center. Fun. As Pitch drew near, trying to scare Jamie, I threw a snowball at him, hitting directly in the face. Everyone laughed and we used that as a distraction to go get Jamie's friends to help in Pitch's defeat. It was us Guardians and children against Pitch and his nightmares. Jamie, that brave boy, willing to stand up and protect us, while Pitch releasing his nightmares at us. Just the touch of the children's hands changed the nightmares to dreams. Sandy's dreams. _

_ Seeing Sandy again, and Pitch defeated by his own Nightmares was the perfect ending to this nightmare. North thought it would be best to finally make me an official Guardian. Right on my lake. It was then time for us to leave, but it seemed like Jamie didn't want me to go. After convincing him that I would always be there for him, it calmed him. As I was going to climb on the sleigh, hearing my name called from Jamie. Feeling the embrace of a child for the first time, left me feeling believed in, like I never imagined. _

_ It was these chain of events that made me who I am. I am Jack Frost, I was reborn in a lake in Burgess, after saving my sister. It is my home. Now more then ever I had more then one reason to return to my lake. Jamie. My First Believer._

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Jack closes the book, sticking the pen in the spiral binding for the time being. He noticed that the tight feeling in his chest, has lessened just a bit.

"Maybe, just maybe, this might work" He quietly whispers to himself as he relaxes his shoulders and closes his eyes. Sleep claiming him for the first time in almost a year.

_-To Be Continued in Chapter 1- First Frosts. Release Date : April 2nd!-_


	2. First Frost

**Disclaimer: I don't own Rise of the Guardians, or any media I may refer to in future chapters. They belong to their rightful owners, I am just using them for entertainment.**

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**Underneath**

**First Frosts**

_-Dream Sequence-_

_Unlike most people who dream of anything your imagination can come up with, or what Sandy decides to give you. We immortals dream of our memories. It's like watching TV, but having no control of the remote. We see things that have happened while we have been reborn._

_It was the sights, sounds and the goldfish look on Jamie's face, that told me that this was a memory of the first Christmas after becoming a Guardian. Jamie is now 11. He was in school when I saw myself going to Burgess, after making a quick stop by my lake to freeze it over then went on my search for the boy. When I did find him, he was in the school yard, building forts with his friends. I remember thinking this it would be the perfect opportunity to re-enact our first meeting, not that he really knew. I gathered enough snow in my hand to form a perfect snowball, lightly blowing a bit of magic on it. Just when he wasn't looking, the ball went soaring through the air, hitting him in the back of the head. It caused him to lose his balance and land head first in a snow bank. Now how did that get there? When he got up, he went to yell at one of his classmates until his eyes met mine. I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous, seeing Jamie again. After he just stood there staring at me, I waved._

_"Jack! You came!" Jamie came running at me, kids around him, looking at him in confusion. Jamie tackled me to the ground, snow flying everywhere. Then it was like, one by one, each child around us began to see me. It was always Jamie to show everyone that I was real, that I was able to be seen. We ended up having a massive snowball fight, all the children vs. me. Jamie was so ecstatic when he was the only one to land a hit on me. I must confess, I was impressed._  
_When the school bell rang I promised Jamie I would see him again at Christmas. His eyes lit up in happiness and he had the biggest smile I ever saw on him._

_Returning to Burgess, just as the clock struck midnight on Christmas, I was running late due to North's request of wanting a white Christmas everywhere. Not easy task making a light dusting of snow in Australia._

_When I arrived at Jamie's place I noticed North already delivered his presents and that everyone was already asleep. Quietly I opened Jamie's window and entered his room. Walking over to his bed and crouching so I was eye level._

_"Jamie, Jamie wake up" I lightly shook him awake._

_"Jack?" Slowly his eyes opened to peer at me in the darkness of his room._

_"Hey Kiddo, Merry Christmas! Sorry I am so late." I felt bad for almost breaking a promise._

_"I knew you would be here Jack. Merry Christm- OH!" He got up quickly from his bed to his desk. I can hear him muttering to himself._

_"Where did I put-Ah! There!" He comes back with a small rectangular gift and holds it out to me._

_"Merry Christmas Jack" I was shocked, I've never been given a gift since I've been reborn. I just stood there, starting at it._

_"Well, are you going to open it? I know it isn't much but I made it" That seemed to have snapped me back into reality, and I began tearing at the wrapping to find a canvas. It's a painting of me. I'm holding my staff, surrounded by snowflakes. The kid has obviously got better in the several months we haven't seen each other. I felt him move beside me, with his hands clenched together near his chest. A sign that I noticed he did when he was nervous or afraid. Snapping out of my shock._

_"Jamie, this is amazing! Thank you!" I lowered down to my knees to give him a small embrace of thanks, I felt him relax after hearing that I enjoyed his gift._

_" Oh, before I forget" I reached into my pocket to pull out a small cube of a gift and placed it in Jamie's hand. He looked at me with curiosity and looked back to the gift. He took the ribbon off the top and opened the small box. The look of awe on his face, as he pulled out the fragile chain that had a very intricate pendant dangling._

_"Jack, I-It's so cool!" He jumped up excitedly in my arms._

_"This is a very special gift Jamie." I picked him up and sat him on the bed beside me._

_"You see here?" I said pointing to the material that was shaped to the exact image of my staff._

_"This is a mineral called Onyx."_

_"Like the Pokemon?"_

_"Poke-what?" I laughed after realizing what he said._

_"No, they have the same name but this Onyx, it's said that it will protect the person that carries it. Now look at the snowflake that dangles in the curve of my staff. That is Crystal, it is said that it will purify any evil that comes to the person that carries it. Inside that snowflake has a bit of my magic in it. That way, no matter what, a part of me will always be with you. It's just something so you can remember me"_

_I saw him hold it up to get a closer look. It glittered in the light shining from the moon outside his window. It was a beautiful gift, Phil outdid himself. I'm just glad I got the materials he needed in time to make it._  
_Jamie turned to face me, holding the necklace out._

_"Thank you Jack! Can you help me put it on?"_

_"Sure." I took the necklace from him and motioned for him to turn around. I lifted it above his head and clasped it securely around his neck. He turned to look at me again._

_"I'm never going to it off!" Just looking at how happy he was, I started to see his image shift._

_He looked a bit older and his sister was in the room._

_"Jack! I can't believe it! We get to see Santa's Shop!" I get it now, this is a year later, Jamie is now 12, Sophie has just turned 7._

_ The kid managed to con me into taking him and Sophie to North's Shop over a card game of 'Go Fish'. I may be the king of Fun and Snow times, but I got my butt handed to me by these two in this game. Note to self, don't gamble with kids when Santa's Shop is on the line._

_Luckily it was still a month before Christmas, or else I think I would have been in huge trouble. We ended up using one of North's snow globes. I didn't think it would be very smart to try and fly on the winds with two kids. When we arrive, Sophie was the first to disappear to search for Bunny. I started to tell Jamie all about the shop, when I realized he too, was gone to explore._

_"Ankle biter! How? What? JACK!" Looks like Sophie found Bunny, and judging on the amount of paint on him, he must have been painting some new egg designs._

_Phil walked afterwards with Jamie hanging by his ankle upside down in Phil's strong grip. He wasn't harmed, if his laugh was any indication, he was having a blast. I flew over to Jamie, just in time for Phil to drop him in my arms. By then Tooth, Sandy and North showed up to find out what all the commotion was._  
_I got an ear full from everyone for bringing kids to the shop._

_"But if it wasn't for Jamie, none of us would even be here. So can you really tell me that bringing them to visit for a short bit is a really bad thing?" I pleaded to them._

_ I could see them all exchange looks in understanding. North then ordered hot chocolate and cookies for everyone. We played games, told stories and generally had a good time. By the time it was time to go back, Sophie was already asleep in Bunny's arms and Jamie was fighting to stay awake. Bunny offered to help bring them back. Though you could tell he wasn't quite ready yet to let go of Sophie. Gathering Jamie in my arms, we used one of North's snow globe to bring them home. I carefully got Jamie into bed and pulled the covers up to his chin._

_"Jack?" I felt a tug on my hoody, looking down I saw that he had the hem in his grasp._

_"Jamie" I sat on the side of his bed, using my hand to ruffle his hair. Noticing a shift, blinking away the mesh of colors._

_Looking down at Jamie again, his hair was longer and his eyes were blurry._  
_Hearing a haggard cough, I noticed that it was coming from Jamie. Footsteps were heard in the hallway, I felt myself freeze in anticipation. His mom entered the room, she didn't see me sitting on her son's bed._

_"Jamie? How are you feeling?" She asked going to window to close it, then coming to the other side of the bed that I wasn't on. Placing a hand on his forehead._  
_Her only response was coughing. She then grabbed a thermometer and asked Jamie to place it in him mouth. After a few moments, it beeped, signalling it was done._  
_From the look on her face, she was worried and scared. She sighed._

_"We need to break this fever, or else I'll have to bring you to the Hospital. I'll go get you a cold face cloth and an ice pack. Be back in a moment, sweetie." She stated as she was leaving the room._

_Within moments, she returned with the items, placing the ice pack wrapped in a towel by his feet, and the cloth on his forehead._

_"Call if you need anything, in the meantime get some rest, I'll check on you again soon."_  
_I stayed with Jamie all night. He woke up briefly, he looked so frail. It hurt to see him so sick._

_"Jack, I don't want to go to the Hospital." He tried to talk more but his coughing didn't allow him to. I checked on the cloth on his head to find it warm. Just like his mom said, we had to cool him down. I lifted the blanket he was under and crawled in beside him. Within seconds, he was curled beside me in my arms. He was hot to the touch, but it was nothing I couldn't handle. I never felt so comfortable and as strange as it may be, safe._

_"Jack" His eyes gazing into my own._

_"Shh, I'm here, just get some sleep." I rested my forehead against his. I could hear the roughness in his breathing even out, telling me that he finally fell asleep._  
_By morning he was all better, no fever and his cough died down. His mom was happy to see that he was doing better. When his mom left the room, I found myself with an armful of Jamie._

_"Thank you Jack!" His voice was still raspy but his laughter was still contagious._

_"Anytime Kiddo. You know I would never let anything happen to you." Placing his feet back onto the floor._

_"Is it because I was the last light?" Shock was the only feeling, I was feeling._

_"No Jamie, it's because you saved me." I sat on the bed and patted the spot beside me. With some coaxing, he sat down and faced me. Curiosity, written all over his face. _

_"What do you mean Jack? How could I have saved you?"_

_"You saved me from solitude, and you saved me from myself. Jamie, before I met you, I wasn't always a happy guy. A lot of the time I was angry and destructive. I didn't know who I was besides Jack Frost, or why I was put here."_

_"Jack I-" I interrupted him by telling him that I will tell him more of my story another day, when he wasn't still so sick. I was tucking him back into bed when everything began to shift again._

_"What's wrong Jamie?" Jamie, was sitting on the steps outside his house, sniffling._

_"Jack! What are you doing here?" He quickly moved his arm to wipe his eyes. Trying to hide the tears._

_"No way, I asked first. Why are you crying?"_

_"Found out my grandfather died. Mom just told us." Not knowing what else to do, I pulled Jamie close and let him cry._

_"Tell me about him, Jamie." And with that he began to tell me stories on how his dad and grandpa would always argue on which instrument Jamie would like more. The piano like his dad, or the guitar like his grandpa. Jamie said that since he didn't like watching them fight over something so silly, he told them that he was going to learn both._

_" Jamie! That was- wow! I can't even express what you did just there!" Hearing my own voice, we shifted again, the memories are starting to speed up._

_ This time I was visiting Jamie, before I headed North for some Canadian winter. As I arrived to his home, I found him at the family piano in the living room. He was pressing away at the keys in this incredible melody. At that moment, I realized how at awe I was with this boy. He must have sensed me, because he stopped playing, and looked directly at me. Rushing for the window, he opened it wide enough to let me in._

_"Where did you learn to play that Jamie?" Must have been the lighting, because I swore I saw him blush._

_"I've been taking piano lessons since I was 5, it was my dad's idea, before he died. He loved music, so I keep up with it. It makes it seem like he is there playing it with me."_  
_Something about those words warmed me, I enjoyed listening to stories Jamie told me about his family and adventures._

_"What song were you playing? I've never heard anything like it before." I moved closer to the piano to see this instrument for myself. Jamie moved to sit at the bench again and motioned for me to do the same. Side by side we sat there._

_"It was called Pieces by a band called Red. It has a lot of guitar in it after the piano, but I'm trying to master this part, since I already know the guitar part." Intrigued, I asked him to show me. _

_Getting up from the bench, he went to grab the guitar from the stand in the corner beside the piano. Placing the strap over his head, my sight caught the glitter of the pendant I got him. All I did was smile. He sat on the couch across from me and began to play. After a few cords, he began to sing._

_I'm here again_  
_A thousand miles away from you_  
_A broken mess, just scattered pieces of who I am_  
_I tried so hard_  
_Thought I could do this on my own_  
_I've lost so much along the way_

_Then I see your face_  
_I know I'm finally yours_  
_I find everything I thought I lost before_  
_You call my name_  
_I come to you in pieces_  
_So you can make me whole_

_I was frozen, just listening to him sing and the words, the words spoke volumes. I couldn't help but to relate to them on all levels. Jamie...He understood me, better then I knew myself. Jamie..._

* * *

Jack woke up to see an elf staring at him.  
"So you finally thawed out. If you don't leave me alone, you'll find yourself frozen again." Just like that, all elves in hearing range were gone. Jack grabs his book, opening it to where he left off to write about the dream of memories he had. Once he is done, he closes it again, takes the hood off of his head, and runs a hand through his hair. He sighs in remembrance.  
"That was all before everything changed."

_-To Be Continued in Chapter 2- No Apologies. Release Date: April 27th-_


End file.
